CHAPTER TWO
1062 Words
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“I’m not most people.”
Luca stared at her again, that same unblinking, consuming way he had in the boardroom. Only this time, it was closer. Slower. More dangerous.
He didn’t touch her.
He didn’t have to.
His stare alone made her wonder if she’d just stepped into something far more intense than she’d planned.
Ava shut the door to Luca Hawke’s office behind her, careful not to let it slam. She held her breath until she was halfway down the hall, then let it out in a slow, shaky exhale.
Her hands were trembling now, out of his sight. The adrenaline that had carried her through the pitch and the private confrontation was crashing out of her system like a wave breaking on rock.
But she didn’t let her pace falter. Not when the executive assistants were still watching her with wide eyes. Not when a pair of senior managers whispered as she passed, clearly wondering how the hell a junior analyst had managed to hijack a board meeting and survive.
Only when she reached the stairwell and slipped behind the heavy door did she finally sag against the wall.
She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered to herself, “Breathe, Ava. Just breathe.”
She’d done it. She’d called out the error in front of the most powerful man in the company—maybe the entire industry—and lived to tell the tale. But more than that, she’d seen something in his eyes, something that felt like...
Respect.
Or maybe interest. A dangerous interest.
Her pulse jumped at the memory of how close he’d stood, how his stare seemed to see through every wall she’d built around herself. She hated the way her body had responded—the flush of heat in her cheeks, the slight tremble in her voice when he’d moved closer.
She shook her head and forced the feeling down.
She didn’t come here to flirt with billionaires. She came here to build something, to prove herself, to survive.
She pulled out her phone and texted her roommate: Pitch done. Still have a job. Might need wine tonight.
She took one more breath, squared her shoulders, and pushed away from the wall.
If Luca Hawke thought he could intimidate her, he was in for a surprise.
Ava Daniels had spent her whole life fighting to be heard.
And she wasn’t about to stop now.
Luca watched the door click shut behind Ava, still feeling the ghost of her defiance lingering in the room. His office felt colder now, emptier. He hated disruptions, but she wasn’t just a disruption—she was something else entirely: a challenge. A bright, fierce mind wrapped in calm confidence. He should’ve shut her down. But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d given her the three minutes she demanded. And now, he couldn’t stop thinking about her voice, her boldness, the way she didn’t flinch. He needed to know where she came from, what drove her… and how he could use—or control—it before it consumed him.
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At Home
Ava stepped inside to her mother’s warm smile.
“Welcome home, sweetheart. How was work?” her mother asked, brushing hair from Ava’s face.
Her little sister, Lila, bounced on the balls of her feet. “Did you get in trouble? Did you impress the big boss?”
Ava chuckled, setting her bag down. “Something like that.”
But then the door slammed behind them. Her father’s voice cut through the small living room. “What are you smirking about, Ava? Acting like you’re better than everyone because you work in some fancy office?”
Ava stiffened. “It’s just a job, Dad. I’m trying to help out here.”
“You think that makes you special?” he sneered. “I don’t care what you think you did. Don’t come in here bragging.”
Her mother frowned. “Enough, Paul. Let her breathe.”
Ava bit the inside of her cheek, holding back the sharp retort on her tongue. She wouldn’t let him ruin her night. Not tonight.
Ava swallowed hard and forced a smile for her mother and sister, even as her father kept grumbling.
“Tomorrow you’ll see, Dad,” Ava said softly but firmly. “I’m going to make something of myself. And I won’t apologize for it.”
Her father scoffed. “Big talk from a girl who barely knows the real world.” he left to his room
Lila grabbed Ava’s hand. “You’re amazing, Ava. Don’t listen to him.”
Her mother nodded, pulling her into a gentle hug. “Ignore your father. He’s just… scared of what he doesn’t understand.”
Ava looked past the small living room to the window, to the skyline beyond. Her father’s doubts still stung, but they wouldn’t stop her. She’d already faced down Luca Hawke today—and she wasn’t about to stop fighting for her future.
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Later that night, Ava slipped into her bedroom and shut the door. She grabbed her phone and dialed her best friend, Mia.
“Girl, you survived the boardroom!” Mia answered with a laugh. “Tell me everything.”
Ava sighed, flopping onto her bed. “It was incredible. Terrifying. And… I think I impressed him. But I came home to Dad tearing me down again.”
“Ugh, I swear,” Mia grumbled. “One day you’re going to prove him so wrong his head spins.”
“I hope so,” Ava muttered. “Luca Hawke… he’s intense, Mia. He watched me the whole time. It was like he was trying to read my mind.”
Mia squealed. “You’re already living the drama I write about in my journals,is my bestie in love I’m so jealous.”
Ava laughed, despite the knot in her chest. “stop please He’s dangerous. But maybe… maybe this is the chance I’ve been waiting for.”
"A chance to fall in love right"Mia asked
"stop!!she smiled "he is cute thou but that's not work related okay so don't get your hopes high besides........ he wouldn't date a low class girl right?
"You are pretty and soooo prefect even the dead can see it love will find you we are 23 love will find us okay" Mia said
"Good night babe love you"she hunged the call up .
- Writer
